Acee: For Chargers, change seems good

Mike McCoy was introduced as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2012. He is shown here with Chargers President Dean Spanos, left, and GM Tom Telesco.
— K.C. Alfred / UT San Diego

Mike McCoy was introduced as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2012. He is shown here with Chargers President Dean Spanos, left, and GM Tom Telesco.
— K.C. Alfred / UT San Diego

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Dean Spanos didn’t know what he wanted until he was close enough to grasp it.

The Chargers President liked Norv Turner and A.J. Smith. Still does.

But the old man — and that’s what Spanos feels like after hiring two relative youngsters — definitely fell in love with a couple guys who are the polar opposites of the men they’re replacing.

“We needed change,” Spanos said Tuesday afternoon, following the press conference to announce Mike McCoy as the Chargers’ head coach. “The dynamic of the two individuals we got is perfect for the change I want.”

McCoy, who will turn 41 on April 1, was hired six days after Tom Telesco, who turned 40 just more than a month ago, was named Chargers general manager.

Neither of these guys have held a top job before. We don’t know how they’ll do. Spanos, who seems energized by the process of change, acknowledged he doesn’t know.

Most everyone reading this knows of my affinity for Turner, but I was on record long ago that if he didn’t win this season, it was time for change.

Folks, this is change. And it does seem right.

What has happened at Chargers Park over the course of a week is unmistakable.

“There’s an energy in the building,” quarterback Philip Rivers said.

Rivers’ fondness for Turner has not faded. But Rivers has his future and the future of the Chargers to consider.

“If we’re changing,” he said, “let’s change.”

About 10 seconds into each of their introductions to San Diego, it was obvious this is without a doubt a different duo.

The GM is engaging. The head coach seizes a room.

Spanos fired Turner and Smith because he knew something was wrong, but he didn’t know exactly what right looked like.

He found out quickly that while he still believes in “continuity” and “stability,” new can be good, too.

You know what got Spanos about McCoy? The guy brought to his interview not only a thorough and vividly articulated plan, but that plan was presented in a way that made Spanos believe that the things he’d been fretting over for months regarding Turner would be fixed by McCoy.

McCoy having had at least some level of success coaching three very different starting quarterbacks over the past four years as the Denver Broncos’ offensive coordinator — including Tim Tebow, who is just barely a quarterback — made Spanos believe McCoy would adeptly adjust to the talent supplied.

McCoy’s presentation — and I tell you, he demands your attention without actually demanding it — made Spanos realize something he hadn’t wanted to admit for some time — that such a presence had been missing at the front of the room.

McCoy also demonstrated a passion for organization and structure, something Spanos had previously determined was lacking to some extent.

McCoy, as did Telesco, also outlined a plan to develop young players, something that two guys trying to hold onto their jobs had been somewhat reluctant to do.